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American forces killed a senior terrorist operative in northwest Syria on Thursday who had direct connections to an Daesh gunman responsible for an ambush that left three Americans dead last month, U.S. Central Command announced Saturday.
The strike targeted Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, described by military officials as an experienced al-Qaeda affiliate leader who maintained ties to the Daesh operative behind the Dec. 13 attack in Palmyra that killed two U.S. service members and an American interpreter.
"The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces," said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, in a statement. He added that there is no safe place for those who conduct or plot attacks on American personnel.
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The targeted killing represents the latest U.S. military action following the December ambush. CENTCOM launched large-scale retaliatory strikes in Syria after the attack, conducting an operation called Hawkeye Strike that hit more than 100 Daesh infrastructure and weapons sites with over 200 precision munitions.
The strikes involved both American and partners operating in Syria, where the U.S. maintains a presence as part of ongoing counterterrorism operations against Daesh remnants. The Daesh, which once controlled vast territories across Syria and Iraq, has been reduced to a guerrilla insurgency but continues to carry out attacks in the region.
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